Downtown biz braced for protesters

Rally against Iraq war should be tamer than 2003

The city is preparing for a planned anti-war protest on Saturday--the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq--but officials expect a smaller crowd than last year's rush-hour spectacle that closed Lake Shore Drive and resulted in about 500 arrests.

The Chicago Police Department is asking downtown retailers and building owners to prepare for the rally by adding security staff at their entrances and removing trash cans or other objects that protesters could potentially use as weapons.

The estimated size of the demonstration is still unknown, but police said they're expecting a smaller crowd than last year's, when as many as 15,000 people marched from the Loop to the lakefront on a Thursday evening, snarling traffic downtown and causing a media circus.

Saturday's rally, sponsored by the March 20 Anti-War Organizing Coalition, is expected to begin at noon on North Michigan Avenue and Pearson Street, near the Chicago Water Tower. Organizers said they plan a peaceful march south along Michigan Avenue, using sidewalks, to Randolph Street, before heading West to Federal Plaza where a rally will be staged.

The organizers had applied for a permit to march in the street, but Mayor Richard Daley denied the request.

Anti-war activists will demonstrate around the world on Saturday for an end to the occupation and to condemn terrorism. Under the banner "The World Still Says No to War," New York and San Francisco will host the largest U.S. rallies.

Russ Salzman, president and CEO of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Assn., said he's contacted retailers so they can prepare for the demonstration, but trusts the police will keep the event under control.

"Our only concern would be if something negative happened," he said. "But if anyone chooses to break the law then police will do what they have to do."

Police also have notified the Building Owners and Managers Assn. (BOMA) and the Greater State Street Council. A police spokesman said businesses should be prepared for the possibility of a large crowd and some parking restrictions.

"We know that 99% of these demonstrators are solely focused on having their first amendment rights heard," but police and business owners still have to be ready for the chance someone acts out, he said.